This invention relates to the field of food processing, and, more particularly to juice extractors.
Citrus juice extraction on a commercial scale can be advantageously performed with a juice extractor including upper and lower cups that move relative to one another along a reciprocal path of travel. The sides of both the upper and lower cups typically comprise fingers that support a fruit so that it can be squeezed without bursting. The fingers of the upper cup interdigitate or intermesh with those of the lower cup.
An orange or other fruit can be fed, for example, to the bottom cup by a cam-operated feeding device. The upper and lower cups are then brought together so that the respective fingers of the cup intermesh and the fruit therebetween is accordingly squeezed.
Sharp, typically circular, cutters are positioned in the top and bottom cups. As the cups move relative to one another, the fruit is pressed against the cutters. The cutters cut plugs from both the top and bottom portions of the fruit as the interdigitating fingers of the two cups mesh together.
The cutting of the plug from the top portion of the fruit promotes separation of the peel from the internal portions of the fruit (i.e., juice and pulp). The plug cut from the lower portion of the fruit allows the internal portions of the fruit to be forced down into a strainer tube positioned just below the lower cup cutter. The strainer tube, in turn, is positioned within a manifold.
After the internal portions of the fruit have been squeezed into the strainer tube, an orifice tube moves upward into the strainer tube applying pressure to the internal portion of the fruit therein. This causes the juice and juice sacs, due to their small particle size, to flow through small holes of the strainer tube and into the juice manifold, thus separating out the juice and pulp. Core material that typically includes membrane, seeds, and peel plugs is discharged out of the bottom of the orifice tube. Such extractors are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,970,861 and 5,992,311 to Suter et al.
Owing to economic efficiency considerations, the juice extractor should accomplish juice extraction rapidly with a high yield rate (i.e., the quantity of juice recovered relative to the amount of fruit processed). Quality considerations, though, dictate that care should be taken regarding the peel oil extracted from the peel during cutting and squeezing. Such oil, if mixed into the juice in higher quantities, reduces the quality of the juice.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,070,778 to Cross et al. discloses a cutting head comprising a core and a cylindrical blade portion surrounding the core in a spaced relation thereto. Side openings or windows are formed in the side surface of the cylindrical blade portion, and the core has a conical shape adjacent the windows. Accordingly, pressure from the orifice tube pushes some peel oil out the sides of the cutting head through the windows. Rings of fruit peel resulting from cutting plugs in the fruit nonetheless may be mixed in with the internal portions of the fruit. If so, the result is an increase in peel oil in the juice ultimately produced, and, accordingly, a reduction in the quality of the juice.
Successful juice extraction involves a trade-off between high yield rates and high juice quality. With respect to the latter, for example, the amount of peel oil that is introduced into the juice during extraction should be limited.
Another approach to enhancing yield and quality performance was attempted by FMC and included different sized components for the extractor. In particular, typical FMC juice extractors are available in so-called xe2x80x9cone inchxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cthree-quarter inchxe2x80x9d versions. The measurement is the nominal dimension for the inner diameter of the lower cylindrical cutter. The upper cutter is sized slightly larger than the lower cutter. The peel clearance, that is, the space between the outer diameter of the upper cutter and adjacent upper cup portions, is typically the same for either one inch or three-quarter inch components, and is based upon the fruit. In an attempt to produce higher quality juice while still providing high yield, a seven-eighths inch lower cutter was made and used along with a standard sized upper cup for one inch extractor components. Accordingly, to provide the proper peel clearance, the wall thickness of the upper cutter was enlarged to about 0.094 inches. The thick-walled upper cutter also required a larger bore on the lower cup to provide adequate clearance. Unfortunately, even this attempted arrangement of components was not fully satisfactory in meeting juice quality and yield goals.
In view of the foregoing background, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a juice extractor and associated methods producing high quality juice and with a relatively high yield.
This and other objects, features, and advantages in accordance with the present invention are provided by a juice extractor, which includes a first or upper cutter comprising a cutter base having at least one base opening therein, and a cutting blade extending outwardly from the cutter base in a spaced relation to define an interior passageway through which debris (e.g., fruit peel and peel oil) can be released.
Unlike with conventional cutting head assemblies that lack such a passageway, pieces of the fruit peel as well as other debris may pass more easily through the base of the cutter rather than being trapped therein or intermingled with the internal portions of the fruit. Accordingly, there is less peel oil introduced into the extracted juice to diminish its quality.
The juice extractor may comprise first and second cups that move relatively to one another for compressing a fruit therebetween during juice extraction. The first and second cups may move relatively to one another along a substantially linear reciprocal path of travel in some embodiments.
The first cup may comprise a plurality of fingers extending radially outwardly to define a first cup bore, which, in turn, may receive the first cutter. The first cutter may include a first cutter base having at least one base opening that may open outwardly to a periphery defined by adjacent base portions. A first cutting blade may extend outwardly from the first cutter base to define an interior passageway. The interior passageway may be in communication with the at least one base opening to release debris therethrough.
The first cutter may further comprise a shaft extending outwardly from the first cutter base opposite the first cutting blade, and the first cutting blade may have a cylindrical shape and a beveled cutting edge. The first cutter may also include a core extending outwardly from the first cutter base in a spaced relation from the first cutting blade. The first cutting blade may have at least one blade opening, and the at least one blade opening may be in communication with the at least one base opening.
The juice extractor may also include at least one debris deflector adjacent the first cutter base. The at least one debris deflector may have a pointed edge directed along the interior passageway. With the first cutting blade having at least one blade opening in communication with the at least one base opening, at least one L-shaped connector may be defined. The at least one L-shaped connector may connect the first cutter base and first cutting blade together, and the at least one debris deflector may be adjacent an inner portion of the at least one L-shaped support leg.
The second cup may comprise a ring base defining a second cup bore, and a second plurality of fingers extending outwardly from the ring base. The second cup may further comprise a second cutter that includes a second cutting blade that is sized to be received within the interior passageway of the first cutter.
A flange may extend outwardly from the second cutting blade to mount the second cutter in the second cup bore. The flange may be at a level flush with or above adjacent portions of the ring base. The flange may serve to direct fruit peel cut by the first and second cutters away from the internal portions of fruit obtained by squeezing the fruit between the first and second cups. By preventing the fruit peel from mixing in with the internal portions, the flange reduces the amount of peel oil in the juice that is ultimately produced. The flange thus enhances juice quality without reducing juice yield.
An additional aspect of the invention relates to a method of making a cutter for use with a juice extractor comprising first and second cups that move relative to one another to compress fruit therebetween during juice extraction. The method may include providing a cutter base having at least one base opening therein. The method also may include connecting a cutting blade extending outwardly from the cutter base to define an interior passageway that is in communication with the at least one base opening so that debris may be released therethrough.